Council, legislators will share dinner, ideas

October 6, 2009

By Warren Kagarise

City Council members and local legislators will break bread next week to discuss policy priorities in Issaquah and Olympia.City officials will host members of local legislative delegations Oct. 14 at Tibbetts Creek Manor. The evening event includes a 6:30 p.m. dinner for elected officials. Residents are welcome to attend the event, but meals will be provided only for official guests. Seating will be provided for members of the public.

Deputy City Clerk Randy Reed organized the event. He described the dinner as a chance for council members and lawmakers to discuss issues facing the city, region and state in a less-formal setting.

When the groups met last year, Councilman John Rittenhouse said, questions about regional transportation dominated the discussion. He said the impact of the economic slowdown and cuts in government services would be a priority at the next meeting.

“It gives the council a sense of what our legislators are thinking and what their priorities are,” Rittenhouse said.

In addition to council members, legislators from the 5th, 41st and 48th districts will attend the dinner meeting. Reed said the majority of the council and the legislative delegation would attend. Councilman Joshua Schaer and State Sen. Cheryl Pflug, a Maple Valley Republican who represents Issaquah, have prior commitments.